1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cordless telephone systems and, more particularly, relates to a system and method for telephonic communication that involves base-to-base communication.
2. Background of the Invention
In the United States, homes often have access to two or more telephone lines and several telephones. Often these phones are cordless phones comprised of a base and a handset. It is desirable for each handset to answer calls on any telephone line coming into the home, so as to eliminate the need to determine on which line the call is coming in and the need to search for the correct handset. Additionally, owners of multiple cordless phones find it desirable for the handsets to communicate with each other without tying up a telephone line.
There are several current approaches to solving these problems. First, two-line phones provide access to two different telephone lines by including two separate network line interface circuits and the appropriate switching hardware to switch from line to line. Additionally, there are cordless telephone standards that provide for multi-channel link systems that allow a single base to handle multiple handsets and allow handsets to use multiple bases. A base in such a network can have two line interfaces as discussed above and, therefore, each handset in the network can answer either line. One example system conforms to the Digital Enhanced Cordless Telephone (DECT) standard, which is promulgated by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). The DECT standard is compatible with GSM or ISDN networks. Another example system, used in Japan, is the Personal Handy-Phone System (PHS).
One problem with these current approaches is that they are bandwidth intensive. This can be a problem in North America, for example, where cordless telephone systems commonly use the 900 MHz-ISM band, which has limited bandwidth available for incorporating these types of features. Further, these systems tend to increase the complexity of the handset design, making the handsets more expensive and reducing battery life. Reduced battery life leads to lower standby and talk times. Another problem with current systems is inflexibility. Once a system is installed, a whole new system may need to be purchased if new features are to be added, or if the user wants to take advantage of new technological developments.
In view of these drawbacks, the systems and methods for telephonic communication involve base-to-base communication. Base-to-base communication makes building an in-home network in which any handset can answer calls on any network line easy and cost efficient. The bases are connected in a network configuration so that they can share resources and enable functional integration of multiple phone lines, handsets, answering machines, and computer devices.
As a result, in accordance with the systems and methods for telephonic communication there is provided a communication device that includes a base. The base includes a line interface configured to receive incoming communications over a network line and to send outgoing communications over the network line, a communication transceiver configured to interface the communication device over a communication link to other communication devices in a same in-home network and to interface other communication devices in the same in-home network to the line interface via the communication link, and a storage medium configured to store communication software that allows the communication device to communicate with other communication devices through the transceiver. The communication device also includes a processor communicatively coupled to the storage medium and to the line interface. The processor is configured to run the communication software and to receive an incoming communication through the line interface and send an outgoing communication through the line interface.
In one preferred embodiment, the communication transceiver is a RF short range transceiver.
In one embodiment, the communication device includes a remote terminal, such as a handset. The handset typically includes a speaker and a microphone configured to play and generate audio signals, which are communicated back and forth with the base over a RF communication channel. Therefore, the base includes a second communication transceiver for communicating with the remote terminal. A key feature of the systems and methods for telephonic communication is that the remote terminal is never interfaced to more than one base at any given time. In other embodiments, the base can be part of a speaker phone or answering machine.
There is also provided an In-home network comprised of a plurality of devices such as those described above. Therefore, by establishing an in-home network in accordance with the systems and methods for telephonic communication, multiple devices and/or remote terminals can be interfaced to different network lines, regardless if the particular device/base is directly connected to the network line. Moreover, this capability is provided in a power efficient manner.
Other aspects, advantages and novel features of the invention will become apparent from the following Detailed Description of Preferred Embodiments, when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.